A Manslayer's Tail
by ReverberatingSilence
Summary: Um...a one shot song fic in Kenshin's POV when he becomes Hitokiri Battousai


**A Manslayer's Tale**  
**By** HanyouGohan (ReverberatingSilence)  
**Chapter** One Shot  
**Warnings** I can't spell some of the terms in Rurouni Kenshin, gomen!

**Disclaimer** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or Linkin Park's "Paranoia"

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_Why does it feel like night today?  
Something in here's not right today  
Why am I so uptight today?  
Paranoia's all I got left_

I closed my eyes tightly. I wasn't going to let this happen again! He attacked me again but this time he managed to get my back. All I wanted to do was send that man to hell. But I cant do that now can I? My hair fell across my back as he slit the wrap open. I breathed heavily and stared at him. I had no clue how I was going to win that battle. But my other side knew how, yup he knew exactly what to do. But I couldn't...not there, with everyone. Not with my oath. I...just…couldn't.

_I don't know what stressed me first  
Or how the pressure was fed  
But I know just what it feels like  
To have a voice in the back of my head_

He lunged at me again, I narrowly made it. Falling backwards I saw Sanosuke come in with Megumi-dono. Great, more on lookers. Kaoru-dono was in tears, and Yahiko was…well.Yahiko-ish. The next attack threw me against the wall. And I fell back down to the ground, landing in a kneeling position.

I closed my eyes again, breathing harder than I needed to. He was coming out.I could feel it. The pain in my chest tightened and my eyes stung with fury. The pain and anger inside me was too much. He wanted to let it all out. I breathed harder still. I couldn't let him.

Saitoh was positioning for another attack and I heard Megumi-dono scream. Damn him, he got me. He stood up slowly and I could feel myself slipping apart. He had won, I knew he would. His eyes, rather my eyes, opened and glared their amber glare at his opponent. I cant compare myself to him. But what could I do! I WAS him. I was a manslayer.

_It's like a face that I hold inside  
A face that awakes when I close my eyes  
A face watches every time I lie  
A face that laughs every time I fall_

Kaoru-dono's gasp ran through my ears, but I didn't care anymore. I didn't care that this man had nearly killed Sanosuke. I didn't care Megumi- dono was worried about me. I didn't care about Yahiko. I didn't care about anything. All I cared about was Saitoh's death. Seeing his blood on my hands was all I wanted. Saito smirked at me and I glared back. This battle was over. I walked slowly over to him and I could feel my former-self rising even higher. I was ready to fight the former Shinzen-gumi. He took a stance, another katotzu and I glared at him.

"You Shinzen-gumi guys never knew when to give up." He attacked me and a dodged it, easily at that. Kaoru-dono's cries rang through the halls again and I heard Sanosuke say that they were no use. But they were, I could hear her. Every word that was spoken I heard. But I couldn't do anything about it. All I wanted was Saito's death. It was written in my mind and heart. My soul was set.

_It watches everything  
So I know that when it's time to sink or swim  
That the face inside is hearing me  
Right beneath my skin_

We glared at each other and soon attacked. I don't know why but I had a strong thirst for this fight. I wanted the blood, pain, murder. I wanted to see it all. What the devil was wrong! Why couldn't I control it? The next attacks did nothing. Neither of us were hurting one another. It was a draw, a pathetic draw that wasn't helping my thirst. I cranked it up a level, but so did he. I could see in his eyes he had gone back too. Back to the Revolution, before the Meji era...just as Sanosuke had said. We were as we had been, finally finishing that long since forgotten battle. And the sad thing was.it felt good. I loved how my adrenalin raised with every swing. I couldn't control it. I enjoyed every freakin' second and yet hated it.

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back  
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head  
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within  
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin_

Ever tried to have two personalities? And you would randomly become one? Yeah, think of that. It might help you, except you're trapped in your own soul.

I was able to dodge the next couple of attacks, but he was able to dodge mine. That is.until he lost his sword. This battle was over, Sanosuke even said it. I was going to win this and it would all be over. Right?

Saitoh did something I didn't expect. He somehow managed to launch his belt at me and toss my sword aside. So now I am swordless and he isn't. Great. But somehow, the Battousai side of me manages to still fight. He never runs out of ideas I swear! So there I was fighting with my sheath, and sadly it was still a tie. I thought deep inside that the battle would never end, while on the outside I wanted it to go on and on forever, just to stare at the blood. He did manage to choke me. That was great, oh but I got him back.

_I know I've got a face in me  
Points out all the mistakes to me  
You've got a face on the inside too and  
Your paranoia's probably worse_

The battle raged on. Or so I thought. What I didn't know, neither side of me knew. Someone else had been watching us. Okubo and his little twerp had been watching.

"Stop it now, the both of you!" Those words rang through my head as we both darted our amber eyes to the door. Everyone gaped in shock, except for me and Saitoh that is. We turned and glared at the man who interrupted our battle. Once again it would be left incomplete. I remember saying something about losing his head. And he said the same to me and left by saying something about Himura Kenshin being worthless and Battousai being useful, whatever that means.

I could tell who he was, except for Yahiko that is. I could feel it, a slight bit of air. I was getting out. As Okubo continued to talk I felt the air grow into a gust, my chest was on fire again. I had to do it now! My left hand was forming a fist and I managed to control it after saying something quite rude to Okubo-sama. I gripped my fist tighter and slammed it into my face hoping it would make Battousai back off. It worked, I felt him slipping away and I took my window. When I opened my eyes again they were violet and I could feel my breathing easing. I looked at Okubo-sama and answered again, in a nicer tone. Then I hear Kaoru-dono say something and something wrapped around my chest. Dang! That hurt, the next thing I remember was my world going black.

_Everybody has a face that they hold inside  
A face that awakes when they close their eyes  
A face watches every time they lie  
A face that laughs every time they fall

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Nice ending ne? Ha ha ha! I don't think that was THAT bad…tell me what you think ok? Flames accepted.  
-HanyouGohan (ReverberatingSilence)_


End file.
